The study will analyse evidence to estimate the costs, technologies and viability of the system.

Professor Miles said: “The AVRT is an electric vehicle which is being developed deliberately to make public transport more attractive than using a car – to all people, including the most affluent.

“It therefore needs to be very speedy and run very frequently.

“The AVRT would run at speeds of 120mph – the system we are looking into does also run slower than this, but this would actually make it more expensive, as you would need more vehicles to keep the service as frequent.

“Think of the AVRT as generation two of the Guided Busway, rather than an adapted high-speed train."

Professor Miles says the electric bus would run on a simple, segregated tarmac road, and would be guided by an electronic system.

The power would come off the grid and be stored in a battery in the vehicle.

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Councillor Francis Burkitt, Vice-Chair of the Greater Cambridge City Deal, said: “The City Deal and Cambridge Ahead have co-funded this feasibility study as part of on-going work to examine some radical transport options for Cambridge with the aspiration for something truly transformative for the Greater Cambridge area.

“We look forward to receiving the detailed findings from Professor Miles when the study is complete, which will help us to understand more about the impact that such a system could have on the future success of the city, and how it could be delivered.

“The City Deal is reviewing its plans post 2020 during 2017, and studies like this will inform choices on major investments, setting out radical but deliverable alternatives to car travel.”

The work is one of several studies being undertaken as part of the Smart Cambridge programme, using the latest innovative transport solutions, including smart ticketing and autonomous vehicles.